‘Balls Up’: Mark Wahlberg, Paul Walter Hauser & Peter Farrelly Go All-In On R-Rated Chaos, ‘Transformers,’ ‘Resident Evil’, ‘I Play Rocky,’ Marvel & More [The Discourse Podcast]

The comedy “ Balls Up ” isn’t messing around. Yes, the title is a dick joke. The plot is a dick joke. And yes, the script is packed with dick jokes. It’s as immature and as dumb as they come, and yet, it oddly works because it just commits so hard and earnestly to the bit. Directed by Peter Farrelly —who knows a thing or two about immature, purile comedies with lots of dick jokes like “ Dumb and Dumber, ” “There’sSomething About Mary ,” etc. — “Balls Up” does not ease you into its insanity. It sprints straight at you with it and keeps building, stacking absurdity on top of absurdity, until it becomes this weirdly impressive feat of endurance. And thanks to the sure hands of its director and stars, it somehow works. The film follows two condom marketing executives/salespeople, Brad ( Mark Wahlberg ) and Elijah ( Paul Walter Hauser ), who pitch a bold full‑coverage condom sponsorship with the World Cup. After their drunken antics in Brazil spark a global scandal, they must outrun furious fans, criminals, and power-hungry officials to salvage their careers and make it home alive. On this episode of The Discourse, Mike DeAngelo is joined by Mark Wahlberg, Paul Walter Hauser, and director Peter Farrelly (“ Green Book ”) to break down how you even begin to make a movie like this, why commitment is everything in comedy, and how something this dumb can actually be smart.

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‘Balls Up’: Mark Wahlberg, Paul Walter Hauser & Peter Farrelly Go All-In On R-Rated Chaos, ‘Transformers,’ ‘Resident Evil’, ‘I Play Rocky,’ Marvel & More [The Discourse Podcast] is an episode from The Playlist Podcast Network by The Playlist.

This episode is 00:31:29 long.

This episode was published on Apr 16, 2026.

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